Electric coupling device



H. F. WOERNLEY.

ELECTRIC COUPLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, IQIB.

3,394,057. 'Patented OCI. 18, 1921.

"IIHIIII www fla-im Hara F WoePnIeY UNITED STATES HARRY F. WOERNLEY, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,

PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR T0 TEE WEST- RATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

. ELECTRIC COUPLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application led May 4, 1918. Serial No. 232,465.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY F. WOERNLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in I Electric Coupling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric couplers, and more particularly to electric couplers adapted for connecting electric train line circuits between cars of a train.

With automatic electric couplers of the butt type, it is usual to have the contacts project out from the meeting face ofthe coupler head, so that the contacts are forced back when counterpart coupler heads are brought together in the act of coupling, and being subject to spring pressure, the contacts are then maintained in yielding engagement while the coupler heads are in the coupled position.

The projectingportions of the contacts, are, however, exposed to the weather, so that short circuits are liable to be formed between contacts, by deposits of water, snow, and ice.

The principal object of my invention is to provide means for overcoming the above difficulty.

In the accompanying drawing; Figure l is a central sectional view of an electric coupler head, embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of counterpart car coupler heads in the coupled position, with centrally sectioned electric coupler heads attached thereto.

As shown in the drawing,.my invention is applied to a butt type automatic electric coupler head comprisin(r a casing 1 adapted to be secured to a car coupler head 2 and containing one or more contacts 3 adapted to be connected to train wires 4.

Each contact is providcd with a head 5 adapted to move longitudinally within a recess in a guide member (S of insulating material and is acted upon by a spring 7 which tends to force the contact outwardly.

At the meeting face of the coupler head there is mounted within the casing 1 a longitudinally movable projecting member 8 of insulating material` which is acted upon by a spring 9, and each contact extends through a corresponding aperture in said member.

When the coupler head is in its uncoupled posltion, as shown in Fig. l of the drawing, the member 8 is maintained in its outer position, as limited by the stop ange l0 of the casing, by the spring 9, and it will be noted that the outer contacting faces of the contacts 3 are now flush with'the outer exposed face of the member 8, so that there are no projecting and exposed portions of the contacts to collect water, snow, ice, or other matter. The possibility of producing short circuits between adjacent contacts is thus avoided.

When counterpart coupler heads are brought together for the purpose of coupling, the members 8 of the heads first engage and are then moved rearwardly against the resistance of the springs 9, as the coupler heads move into the coupled position, and the contacts 3 engage to close the respective train line circuits, the contacts being moved rearwardly against the resistance of the springs 7 until the parts have assumed the final coupled position.

In order to prevent access of water and foreign matter to the meeting faces of the coupler heads, when in coupled position, engaging gaskets 1l of yielding material, such as soft rubber, may be inserted in the member 8 at the peripheral edge thereof` so as to make a tigit joint when the couplers are in engagement.

Having now described my invention, what Il claim as new, and desire to secure -by Letters Patent, is:

The combination with a car coupler, of an electric kcoupler head secured to said car coupler and ycomprising a casing, longitudinally movable yielding contacts therein for engaging v'in a vertical plane corresponding contacts of a counterpart coupler head, a longitudinally movable yielding niember having apertures through which said contacts extend, and means for maintaining the contact faces of the contacts flush with the face of said member when the coupler head is in the uncoupled position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y HARRY F. WOERNLEY. 

